In the above noted application, there is described a word game for two or more players wherein players alternately form words by placing chips on a crossword grid on a gameboard to score points. The chip set includes a plurality of basic playing chips each having a single letter and a single numerical value thereon and a plurality of enhanced playing chips each having a first and a second region with a letter and numerical value in the first region and an alternative letter and numerical value in the second region, either of which can be used to form a word by selectively aligning the letter on the first or the second region with an adjacent chip on the crossword grid. The corresponding number value is then added to the player's score.
In some prior word games, selected crossword grid squares or spaces (bonus spaces) receiving the chips are also marked with indicia such as wording which indicates that the numerical value of a letter or word associated with a chip occupying that space, is increased, for example, doubled or tripled. During play, it is usually required for the player first to place his chips on all the spaces necessary to complete a word and then, in order to calculate the score, to temporarily displace individual chips one by one to reveal the indicia on the underlying spaces--which may also require temporarily displacing opponents' chips which are also used in forming the same word, (either intentionally or inadvertently).
This can be an inconvenient and somewhat time consuming procedure, slowing the progress of the game and possibly also causing some irritation and discord among opponents who do not like "their" chips being displaced and, occasionally, incorrectly repositioned.